The structure of the heliospheric current sheet: 1978–1982

Abstract

The structure of the heliospheric magnetic field changes substantially during the 11‐year sunspot cycle. We have calculated its configuration for the period 1976–1982 by using a potential field model, continuing our earlier study near solar minimum in 1976–1977 (Hoeksema et al., 1982). In this paper we concentrate on the structure during the rising phase, maximum, and early decline of sunspot cycle 21, from 1978 to 1982. Early in this interval there are four warps in the current sheet (the boundary between interplanetary magnetic field toward and away from the sun) giving rise to a four‐sector structure in the interplanetary magnetic field observed at earth. The location of the current sheet changes slowly and extends to a heliographic latitude of approximately 50°. Near maximum the structure is much more complex, with the current sheet extending nearly to the poles. Often there are multiple current sheets. As solar activity decreases, the structure simplifies until, in most of 1982, there is a single, simply shaped current sheet corresponding to a two‐sector interplanetary magnetic field structure in the ecliptic plane. The sun's polar fields, not fully measured by magnetographs such as that at the Stanford Solar Observatory, substantially influence the calculated position of the current sheet near sunspot minimum. We have determined the strength of the polar field correction throughout this period and include it in our model calculations. The lower latitude magnetic fields become much stronger as the polar fields weaken and reverse polarity near maximum, decreasing the influence of the polar field correction. The major model parameter is the radius of the source surface, the spherical surface at which the field lines become radial. Correlations of interplanetary magnetic field polarity observed by spacecraft with that predicted by the model calculated at various source surface radii indicate that the optimum source surface radius is not significantly different from 2.5 RS during this part of the solar cycle.